Anchor for guy-wires, &amp;c.



E. HnLIOHTENBERG.

' ANCHOR FOR GUY WIRES, 6w. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1909.

975,543. Patented Nov. 15, 1910.-

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ANCHOR FOR GUY WIRES, 8w. APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1909.

975,543. Patented N0v.15, 1910.

2 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

ERICH I-I. LICHTENBERG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY B. BURR, OF MILIVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

ANCHOR FOR GUY-WIRES, 860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Enron H. LIoH'rnn- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Anchors for GuyfiVires and the Like; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in anchors for guy wires, cables and the like and the invention consists in the mat ters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an exceedingly simple, economical and strong anchor for the purpose set forth, to provide an anchor which may be easily and quickly placed in position and which has a large area of holding or anchor surface as compared to the diameter of the rod and dimensions of the excavation in the earth to receive the same and to provide a novel means of expanding the anchor mem bers into the undisturbed earth at the side of the excavation.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wire supporting post, showing my improved anchor device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the anchor in its closed position. F ig. 3 is a plan view of the anchor when closed. Fig. 4. is a plan view of the anchor when expanded. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the expanded anchor. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a convenient form of wrench for expanding the form of anchor shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form of anchor. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section on line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

As shown in the drawings 10 designates the anchor as a whole, 11 the anchor rod and 12 the guy wire or cable by which the anchor rod is connected to the post, pole or other part which is to be braced or supported by said anchor.

The anchor shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, comprises a plurality of relatively thin anchor members or plates 15, 16, 17 and 18 which, when the anchor is closed, lie one Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 12, 1909.

Patented Nov. 15, 1910.

Serial No. 495,410.

over the other as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The said anchor plates or members are provided at one end of the anchor with alined openings through which extend the lower end of the anchor rod 11, the rod thus constituting a central pivot for the movable anchor members about which said members swing when expanding the anchor and when closing same. As herein shown the anchor is composed of four of such anchor members but may embrace a greater or less number thereof as desired. As herein shown the anchor members are of fan shape, they being made widest at their outer ends. Their outer margins are preferably curved as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. Said anchor members are formed at their pivoted ends to provide hubs 20 in which are formed the pivot apertures to receive the lower end of the anchor rod and said hubs lie one over the other in both the open and the closed positions of the members. The lower or base anchor member 18 is provided on its lower side with a downwardly extending flanged rib or lug 21 which is adapted to be forced into the bottom of the excavation or hole in the earth to receive the anchor, whereby said lower anchor member or plate is immovably fixed with respect to said bottom. The hub of the upper plate 15 is provided with a short vertical tubular extension 22 through which the anchor rod extends and saidextension is of angular cross section for engagementwith a suitable wrench by which the movable anchor members are turned about their pivot to expand and close the anchor. The lower end of the anchor rod is provided with screw threaded nut 23 which occupies an angular socket in a projection 24 on the lower side of the fixed member 18 whereby the rod is non-rotatively fixed relatively to said fixed member. All of the anchor members except the lower fixed member 18 are designed to be swung about their central pivot from their closed positions over the fixed member 18, shown in Fig. 3, to the positions shown in Fig. 4, in which latter positions of the members the anchor occupies an approximately circular area with the anchor rod at the center thereof. W'hen thus expanded the side margins of the members overlap each other. The said members are provided with interacting projections so arranged that the upper member, through the medium of the angular extension 22, to swing said upper member to its open position is exerted successively on the next lower members to swing them into their proper positions, and to finally arrest said members in their open positions. I may employ various forms of such interacting projections for thus actuating all the movable anchor members from the upper member and for arresting all the members when expanded. A practical arrangement of such'operative connections is shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and is made as follows: The hubs of said anchor memhere are provided with lugs 25 which extend downwardly from the margins thereof in overlapping relation to the margins of the subja'cent hubs. Each of the hubs, except the upper one, is provided with a shoulder 26 adapted to be engaged by the lugs 25 of the next adjacent hub upon the turning or angular displacement of the upper anchor member in the proper direction. Each lug 25 is angularly spaced from its associated shoulder 26 on the next lower member a distance which each member is swung or moved relatively to the next lower member when expanding the anchor. When the anchor comprises four members as herein shown, the lugs are spaced 90 degrees from their coa'cting shoulders.

WVhen the anchor is to be expanded the upper member 15 is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 and swings relatively to the next lower member 16 until the lug of the upper member engages the shoulder of the next lower member 16, whereupon the said next lower member is picked up and carried along with the upper member. Likewise after .the second member 16 has moved a given angular distance its lug 25 will engage with the shoulder 26 of the third member 16 and carry the latter member along with it and the upper member. The said members will. be arrested in their opening or expanding movement by engagement of the lug 25 of the third member 17 with the shoulder 26 of the lowest or base member. This position of the parts is shown in Fig. 4. Thus in the construction shown, embracing four symmetrically arranged members, the uppermost member 15 will be turned an angular distance of 270 degrees, the second member 16 will be turned an angular distance of 180 degrees and the third member Will be turned an angular distance of 90 degrees from the starting position.

In order to hold the anchor members flatwise together and from spreading apart the hubs may be provided on their margins which are overlapped by the lugs 25 with undercut or beveled surfaces 28 which are engagedby inwardly turned beveled termipower applied to I nals 29 of the lugs. Other suitable interlocking connectionsmay be provided be-' tween said members to hold them from spreading apart during the expansion of the anchor.

The forward or advance side margins of the movable anchor members (considered with respect to the direction of the opening movement of said members) are beveled as indicated at 30 to afford sharpened edges to readily cut through the earth during the expanding or opening movement thereof. As shown the upper member is thus beveled on its upper side and the lower movable members are beveled on their lower sides. The rear margins of said members are likewise beveled on their upper sides, as shown at 31 in order to facilitate the passage of the members through the earth when the members are turned backwardly to close the anchor. I

In Fig. 6 I have shown a convenient form of wrench for expanding the anchor. It consists of a shank 38 provided at its lower end with a head 34 having a notch 35 of a shape and size to interlock with the angular extension 22 of the upper plate 15-. Said shank is provided at its upper end with a crank arm 86 by which it may be conveniently rotated.

In setting the anchor a hole is formed slightly out of alinement with the proposed guy Wire or cable and parallel therewith and of such size or diameter to receive the folded or closed anchor. The anchor is inserted into the hole and the flanged holdin rib or lug 21 of the base member is forced into the earth at the bottom of the hole and serves to hold the base member from rotation. Thereafter the wrench is applied to the extension 22 of the upper member to turn or swing the latter and the movable members beneath, in the manner hereinbefore described, outwardly-in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3 into the undisturbed earth at the side of the hole or excavation. 'When the movable members of the anchor are thus expanded they will lie almost wholly in the undisturbed earth. The hole is then filled and the earth tamped upon the fixed or base member and the parts of the movable members which lie over the inner end of the stationary or base member.

It will be observed that the anchor constructed and arranged as described provides a very large area of holding surface as compared to the diameter of the anchor rod and to the dimensions of the opening or hole in the earth to receive the anchor, and that almost three-fourths of such holding surface ll O or area is embedded in the solid or undisturbed. earth.

The anchor is manifestly capable of being easily and quickly installed and when installed the pulling stress exerted by the anchor rod has no tendency whatever to close or collapse the anchor. When it is desired to remove the anchor, the movable anchor members may be swung from their open po sitions over the fixed member by the application of the wrench in a direction the reverse to that by which the anchor was opened; and during the closing movement of the anchor members the lugs 25 of the several movable members successively engage each other to turn all the movable members back over the stationary member. At the end of the beveled surface 28 of the stationary anchor member remote from the shoulder 26 is formed a second shoulder which is engaged by the lug 25 of the next movable member above to arrest the movement of the latter member when swung over said stationary member and thereby arrest all the mov- I able or swinging members in superposed position over said stationary member. The closed anchor may therefore be removed through an excavation or hole of the same size into which it was placed when installed.

Instead of applying power to the movable members through the medium of a wrench or like implement to swing said members into their expanded positions, I may apply such power through the anchor rod 11 itself. Such an arrangement is shown in Figs. 7 and 8. In this construction the anchor rod 11 extends through alined openings in the hubs 38 of the members 39, 40, l1 and 42. The lower or fixed member is provided with a rib 4.3 by which to hold such member from rotation. The lower end of the anchor rod is headed as shown at 4st, and rotatively engages the hub of the lower or fixed anchor member 42 as well as the hubs of the other anchor members. The upper anchor member 39 is formed with a short vertical hollow extension 45 through which the anchor rod extends, and the anchor rod is nonrotatively fixed to or interlocked with said extension, as for instance by the pin 46 which extends transversely through said extension and the rod. Thus when the rod is turned it rotates relatively to all of the anchor members excepting the upper one, and will swing the latter member outwardly about the axis of the rod; and the succeeding lower movable members will be successively swung to their outermost positions by suitable interacting projections and shoulders on said members, and will be arrested or limited when the anchor is fully expanded, by suitably located interacting stops on the lower fixed member and the next upper movable member.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modified arrangement of the interacting stops or projections for giving successive movement to the movable anchor members and for limiting the total movement thereof. In this construction the movable anchor members I are provided on their under sides, radially outside the hubs thereof, with downwardly extending lugs 48 that enter grooves i9 formed on the upper faces of the next lower members. Said grooves are arranged transversely oi the members and are curved concentrically to the axis of the anchor rod. Each groove is open at one end on one margin of the member in which it is r'ormed and is closed at its other end to form at such latter end a shoulder 50 against which the lug 48 of the member above engages, when the upper member is being swung to its open position, to carry the next lower member with it. In order to prevent the anchor members from spreading apart the said grooves 49 may be slightly undercut, and the s lugs 48 may be provided with horizontal lips 51 arranged to enter the undercut portions of the grooves.

It will be obvious that many other forms of interacting connections may be provided for the purpose of successively swinging the members outwardly into their expanded positions. Furthermore the construction and arrangement of the anchor members may be varied within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto. For instance in case the anchor rod be non-rotatively connected with the base plate (as by the nut 23 and socket 24:) the holding rib or lug 21 may in some cases be omitted, the rod serving as means to hold the base plate non rotative while the rotative members are being expanded.

The anchor shown and equivalent constructions may also be employed to anchor other devices than cables or guy wires, as for instance, it may be used to anchor a vertical post in the ground.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an anchor, a central anchor rod and a plurality of anchor members pivoted to the rod to swing about the axis of the rod as a common center.

2. In an anchor, a central anchor rod and a plurality of anchor members arranged in superposed planes and provided at their inner ends with alined apertures through which said rod extends, whereby said members are pivoted to said rod to swing about the same to expand and to close the anchor.

23. In a device of the class described, an anchor and earth engaging means assembled with the anchor and comprising a master blade and another blade actuable thereby.

4. In an anchor, a master earth engaging blade and another earth engaging blade actuable thereby.

5. In an anchor, a swinging master earth engaging blade and another swinging earth engaging blade actuable thereby.

6. In an anchor, a central anchor rod and earth engaging members pivoted to the rod to swing about the same as a common center,

one of said earth engaging members constituting a master member and the other member being actuable thereby.

7. In an anchor, an earth engaging blade, another earth engaging blade actuable thereby and stop devices for limiting the total expansive or opening movement of the blades.

8. In an anchor, a central anchor rod, a plurality of superposed anchor members piv oted to the rod to swing about the axis of the rod as a common center, the upper anchor member being provided with means for turning the same about its pivotal axis and interacting parts on the members for giving movement to the lower swinging members from the upper member.

9. In an anchor, a central anchor rod, a plurality of superposed anchor members pivoted to the rod to swing about the axis of the rod as a common center, the upper anchor member being provided with means for turning the same about its pivotal axis and interacting parts on the members for giving movement to the lower swinging members from the upper member, said interacting part being arranged to hold the members fiat-wise together and prevent them from spreading apart.

10. An anchor comprising a base anchor member provided with means for holding it immovably in the earth, a plurality of movable anchor members superposed above the base member-and an anchor rod connected to said members at their inner ends and about which the superposed anchor members swing to expand and to close the anchor.

11. An anchor comprising a base anchor member provided with a depending holding prong or lug, a plurality of superposed anchor members above the base member and an anchor rod extending through alined openings in the inner ends of said anchor members about which the upper members swing to expand and to close the anchor.

12. An anchor comprising a base anchor member provided with a depending holding prong or lug, a plurality of superposed anchor members above the base member, an anchor rod extending through alined openings in the inner ends of said anchor members about which the upper members swing to expand and to close the anchor, and interacting projections on said members arranged to give movement from one of the swinging members to the others and to limit the total expanding movement of said swinging members.

18. An anchor comprising a plurality of fan shaped or flaring anchor members arranged in superposed planes, the lower or base member having means for holding it fixed, and an anchor rod extending through alined openings in the inner or smaller ends of said members about which the members above the base member are adapted to swing, said upper or swinging members being adapted to lie over the base member when the anchor is closed'and to swung away from the base member in radial relation to said rod to open or expand the anchor.

14. An anchor comprising a plurality of fan shaped or flaring anchor members arranged in superposed planes, the lower or base member having means for holding it fixed, and an anchor rod extending through alined openings in the inner or smaller ends 01": said members about which the members above the base member are adapted to swing, said upper or swinging members being adapted to lie over the base member when the anchor is closed and to be swung away from the base member in radial relation to said rod to open or expand the anchor, the advance side margins of said swinging members being sharpened.

15. An anchor comprising a plurality of fan shaped or flaring anchor members arranged in superposed planes, the lower or base member having means for holding it fixed, and an anchor rod extending through alined openings in the inner or smaller ends of said members about'which the members above the base member are adapted to swing, said upper or swinging members being adapted to lie over the base member when the anchor is closed and to be swung away from the base member in radial relation to said rod to open or expand the anchor, the side margins of said members being arranged to overlap each other when the anchor is expanded.

v 16. An anchor comprising a plurality of fan shaped or flaring anchor members ar ranged in superposed planes, the lower or base member having means for holding it fixed, an anchor rod extending through alined openings in'the inner or smaller ends of said members about which the members above the base member are adapted to swing, said upper or swinging members being adapted to lie over the base member when the anchor is closed and to be swung away from the base member in radial relation to said rod to open or expand the anchor, means for applying power to the upper swinging member to swing the same about said rod, and angularly separated projections on said swinging members arranged to swing or turn the lower swinging members from the upper member.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 8th day of May A. D. 1909.

ERICH H. LIOHTENBERG.

Witnesses:

M. G. PELTON, H. B. BURR. 

